Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

SRI LANKA: Complainant of human rights violation case is illegally arrested and severely tortured at the SP’s office of Negombo

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Dilshan Suran Janz (27) was severely tortured by police officers of the Negombo police because he refused to withdraw an earlier complaint of police brutality. He has been threatened with a fabricated charge of the possession of illegal substances if he continues to refuse to comply. Dilshan’s mother was also severely abused during the attack.

This is a typical case of the police, particularly those from the Negombo district taking matters into their own hands to protect their own. This case is yet another illustration of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country.

CASE NARRATIVE:

Mr. Dilshan Suran Janz (27), of No: 35, St. Sebastian Mawatha, Katuwapitiya, Negombo in the Gampaha District is a bachelor and a three wheeler diver. He lives with his parents and younger brother in his parent’s house.

On 14 July 2012 at 2 am while he was sleeping at home suddenly five persons illegally trespassed into his house by breaking the window of the rear side of the house. Then these five people approached the place where Dilshan was sleeping and started to beat him with. Dilshan was able to identify that the persons attacking him were police officers and they did so without asking his identity or informing of the reason for their assault.

At that time Dilshan’s parents, younger brother also were sleeping together with him. While police officers were beating Dilshan his mother, Ms. Kumarasinghe Hettiarachchige Greta Esmi (58), got up and inquired the officers for the reason for beating her son and pleaded the officers not to assault him. But the officers shouted at her with obscene language and chase her away. Then again one officer came to her and dragged the bed sheet which she wore around her body; they twister her neck causing her enormous pain. Then the other officer dragged her away by her hair. Ms. Greta was able to identify two police officers as police officers, Sugath and Perera as the two officers attached to the office of the Superintendents of Police (SP), Negombo as those who severely tortured Dilshan.